Today was a wonderful day. Amen.

Thank you to all my new, and old friends who helped.
kiss.kiss, AM
(p.s. if you reading this through a reader, you may need to come to the blog to view the above video.)

Punk Rock Love

Today I'm on my hands and knees (by gosh) finishing up the Love Emblem Throw. This'll be a free downloable pattern available to you soon. I designed it to feature the home dec and velveteen fabrics from Innocent Crush which are due in a few weeks. Oh- I finally have a flickr group posted for IC. Man, you guys are fast, already lots of inspiration there. Anyhoo, the quilt here was inspired by punk rock, my son's skateboarding ways, Frida Kahlo and did I say punk rock? Oh, yes I did. British-y. Union Jack. You get it, right?



And on that punk note (a shrill, anti-social note?), you could pin a few of these through your ears, nose or eyebrows if there are some to spare after basting.

I probably shouldn't have blogged today.

In other news, there are what sounds like 704 squirrels in my attic that are scratching around above my head in the studio. I just cleaned out and organized up there a few weeks ago, looking forward to perhaps finishing some of the space in the next few months. Its as though they were waiting for me to do this, because they didn't like the mess. Now that everything is in its place they find it suitable enough to make a home there. Anyone know how to deter these critters from your nooks and crannies? You know, humanely? I will admit that my definition of humane may broaden after a few more weeks of the mayhem up there.

Nkay, I'm gonna dig up some Smiths. I know, its post-punk, closenuff.
xoxox, Anna

Its the clothes that kill me

Two bros yo.

This is my handsome husband, Jeff (left) with his little, adorable (still) brother Jason, taken I think around spring of '77. Yesterday my mother-in-law, Bette, sent this jewel to us. Many of us have photos that look like this. The pose, the clothes, the vintage coloration, and those bubba faces are priceless. I can hardly stand it actually. Those ties? Uhhh! I want to squeeze both of those faces!

And after birthing six of this man's children (just that man on the left there) I feel like I've seen these same faces over and over again. That expression just seems to run through all of them. I love it so much. Cherish it, actually. Like I have to close my eyes now, I've been looking at the cuteness too long. Coincidentally, before Bette sent these to us, Jeff and I each spent some time yesterday morning searching a few hard drives for a (huge) batch of our own family photos, that so far we haven't been able to turn up. I'm talking years of photos. We are scared that the file may have gotten overwritten somehow but I am so hoping we are wrong about that. I can't even imagine. It gives me such a sinking feeling thinking about it.

Last night though, I had a little glimmer of a thought in regards to this potential heartbreak in the works. Last month marks four years of blogging here. I can't believe it! I don't know quite what I ever expected out of this endeavor, but one thing is certain for me now. I am thankful that I have a record, albeit micro, of the comings and goings of the story of us here. Obviously intermixed with shoptalk, an other aspects of what I do everyday, but it is still a comfort. And on the note of comfort, I wanted to take the time to say thanks for coming along with me on this little journey. I know some of you have been here for 4 years (or longer!) and some just got here today. I thank each of you for the little nook you've carved out for me in your days, leaving me room to share.

Even if sharing means a really old picture of two boys in silly ties holding what look to be personal mini-Bibles. And I think Jeff's pants are pink. Bette? Oh, nevermind.

xoxo, Anna

Who you callin' spoiled?

Some days this is what it takes. One pacifier, one red wagon, one yellow canary.

(No canaries were hurt in the taking of these photographs. The baby did cry, though, every time we tried to return the canary from his "field trip" cage to his "real cage".)

xoxoAnna

Getting Dressed (and Staying That Way)

When you spend most of your days glued to the computer, sewing machine or phone, with cookie crusted fingers slapping your lap, getting dressed for a wedding can be a dayslong process. Putting the actual dress on only minutes, but deciding all the components? Days. Weeks? Maybe weeks. Juliana helped curate this little ensemble both in person and via skype. When in Williamsburg in June, we had the shopping trip of a lifetime at Beacon's Closet. Best. Vintage. Ever. Not just vintage, but a random trove of every era of clothing from 2 weeks ago to 40 years ago. I found this Diab'less dress, $345.00 new tags still attached, but only paid 35 smacks for it. I know! I love it so much, hits about mid thigh, no closure, just a lovely a-line double crepe, with a plunging, rounded back. And oh, the anemone-like pleated panels under the arms, are so so pretty. Anyway. The line is a Parisian one, and I don't think any shops exist in the US anymore, and even though the dress is only maybe 7 or 8 years old, it felt so special. But I wanted to belt it. I was fully prepared to make a belt. I was headed to Textile to get materials to make a zigzag sequined belt (somehow I couldn't get the thought of zigzags outta my head for this) when I decided I should probably take a quick look at TJMaxx even though I seldom have luck there. What did I find but a random beaded zigzag belt from Express for flippin' $4.95! I knowknow!! So I snatched it, went home and tried it on for Skypiana and she gave it her gold star approval. What would I do without her? Now if I hadn't spent $120 on undergarments to make all this work, then I would really start bragging.

Anyway, what I really wanted to tell you about (the above was just a warm up) was what happened at the wedding that still has me giggling. I realize by the title that you might presume I was involved in a clothing mishap. No, in fact, I double-handedly saved a girl's dignity in the bathroom of a fancy country club. I serendipitously walked into the ladies room to remove the 120$ worth of underhutzpah so could use the bathroom at the exact moment that I heard a friend of mine say "its split from the top to the bottom?" In that same instant I knew that I would be sewing someone into a dress. How? I just knew. Maybe it was because I got out of sewing a belt, and the fact that this is the 3rd time I have either walked into a dressing room or just about walked down the aisle in front of a bride when someone needed my sewing fingers. I was oddly excited by it and happy to help. A certain lovely blonde Julie had a new dress whose zipper head was stuck up, would not budge down, but the zipper coils themselves were split completely open. And I don't know about you, but I can never get an invisible zipper to cooperate and get back on track when this happens- so we drummed up a (really crappy) needle and thread that someone found in a little-used bride's room. I whipstitched her into her pretty green frock and she was so calm. I was so impressed. I woulda been mad as heck. How much of our life and happiness depends on a zipper? Too much! And small world, Julie is from Florence, Al. and good friends with my friend Natalie. The chatting we did while I sewed her back together felt like the chatting I did last week at our sewing circle.

It follows me you see. Which is good. I just need to keep (really good) needles and thread in my purse.
It was nice meeting you Miss Julie.
xo, Anna